Academy Days
by Bec
Summary: A P/T fanfic. What if Tom and B'Elanna had met at the academy?


Academy Days by Bec

Disclaimer : The crew of Voyager belong to Paramount. Unfortunatly, I don't own them

Authors Note : This was one of the first fanfics I ever wrote, so feedback would be good. 

Academy Days by Bec

17-year-old B'Elanna carried the light bag up the stairs of Starfleet academy with ease. Her only posessions were a few clothes, a picture of her dead human grandparents, and some neccesary items. 

"Lets see," she said quietly to herself. "Room 8, section 12." B'Elanna walked down the corridor, looking for the quarters that she had been assigned to. She was very excited about being at Starfleet academy, after so many long arguements with her Mother. Unfortunatly, though, B'Elanna had to have a room-mate.

B'Elanna Torres had never shared. She had had few friends in her life, and no siblings, so there had never been a reason to share. She wondered what her room-mate, Maya, would be like.

Finally, B'Elanna found her quarters. She keyed in her access code, and the doors opened. She looked at her quarters with approval. They were decorated mainly in yellow. Two beds, with identical starfleet issue sheets. At the window, there was a pot of bright flowers. B'Elanna gulped. She knew her room-mate was here already. 

B'Elanna walked in, and threw her lightweight bag onto the bed without the stuffed animal pig on it. She assumed Maya had claimed that bed.

"Hi," a red haired girl said from behind B'Elanna. B'Elanna jumped and turned around. "Are you B'Elanna Torres?" the red haired girl continuued. 

"Yeah," B'Elanna replied. "You must be Maya Waterman then?"

"Sure am," Maya said, laughing. She had long, dark red hair, and was tall and slender. B'Elanna was sure that Maya was probably one of the most popular girls on campus.

"Is this gonna be my bed?" B'Elanna asked Maya. Maya looked guilty.

"Sorry," she said. "I bagged this one, because I love waking up next to a view of the sea."

"You used to live near the sea?" B'Elanna asked her new room-mate curiously. 

"Yeah," Maya said dreamily. "On Sarik Prime. I lived right next to the ocean. Coming here was the first time away from home, so I sort of took the bed closest to the view of the sea."

"You're welcome to it," B'Elanna said, glad her room-mate was so friendly. "You know, coming here was my first time away from home as well."\par \tab "Really," said Maya, interested. "Lived with your parents all your life then?"

"My mother," B'Elanna said, looking at the floor. "My Father, um, left when I was five."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Maya cried. "That must have been so awful for you."

"Yeah," B'Elanna said. "Anyway. Um, I love the flowers."

"Great," Maya said. "They arrived for you this morning."

"Who from?" B'Elanna said, shocked anyone would send her some flowers as pretty as that.

"Your mother," Maya replied. "I'm sorry I unwrapped them, but I didn't know if you'd be very late, and I didn't want them to die."

"It's OK," B'Elanna said. "Is there a little message or something?"

"Yeah," Maya said handing B'Elanna the data pad. "Here you are."

B'Elanna took the data pad into her hand, and read, a simple message from her mother.

Good Luck my only daughter.

Make me proud, and bring honour to our house.

I love you.

Your Mother

*****

"Fancy getting something to eat?" Maya asked B'Elanna after she had finished unpacking her few items. "I bet you're hungry." B'Elanna had to admit her stomach was grumbling.

"In a minute," B'Elanna said, wandering over to the window, and looking out over the campus, and, past that, the sea. She looked at the cafe on site, and the mass of people. "Who's that?" she asked Maya, pointing at a blonde haired guy, surrounded by a group of friends.

"Who?" Maya said to B'Elanna. "The bolian? The betazoid."

"No," B'Elanna said. "That guy over there. He's just gone past the fountain."

"The one with blonde hair?" Maya asked. B'Elanna nodded. "That's Tom Paris. His Father's an admiral." Then she whispered in B'Elanna's ear. "Don't get your hopes up. Every girl on campus wants him, even though he's got a girlfriend, Crystal."

"Oh," B'Elanna said, not trying to show her dissapointment, afraid that Maya would think she was weak.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Maya instructed her. "Plenty more fish in the sea, eh?"

"Yeah," B'Elanna said, trying desperatly to get the blonde haired stranger out of her mind. She couldn't.

*****

It didn't take B'Elanna long to change into a pair of 20th century style jeans and a cream coloured top. She ran a brush through her short chestnut brown hair, andtouched up her make-up.

She and Maya left their room, and went down to the on campus cafe. 

*****

"Shrimp salad and a coffee for Bella here, and a leafy salad and a tea for me please," said Maya, ordering their meals."

"You called me Bella," B'Elanna exclaimed. "No one called me that, excpet my fifth grade teacher."

"Oh," Maya said. "Well, I have cute names for all my friends. That's yours."

'Friends,' thought B'Elanna. 'She's my friend. For the first time in my life, I have a friend.' "So," Maya said, while they were waiting for their food. "Do you like Starfleet already?"

Across from the cafe, Tom Paris sat on a wall. He'd noticed the half human/klingon. He'd noticed that she was very attractive. And he'd also noticed the fact she was wearing 20th century jeans. ' I think I've just met the woman of my dreams,' he though. Crystal kissed him on the cheek.

*****

"Ms Torres," I presume?" the professor said, looking at the half klingon. B'Elanna brushed.

"Sorry I'm late Professor Hartley," B'Elanna apologised. "It won't happen again."

"It'd better not," the Professor. "Now, as I was saying, class, before Ms Torres interrupted us, the forcefield is highly technical at level ten. It draws in power from auxiluary relays, primary relays, and a slight part from-"

The professor continnued talking while B'Elanna seated herself. Maya had saved her friend a seat. B'Elanna plucked up the courage to write a note on a data pad, and pass it to Maya.

Found a kitten on the way here. Some kid was drowning it. Is in our quarters. Can we keep it? Maya looked at the pad and typed back her reply.Yes.

"Tiffany?" Tom Paris asked his friend. "Who is that girl over there?" He indicated towards B'Elanna.

The tall, blonde haired girl shrugged. "I know the red head is called Maya, but I don't have a clue as to who that klingon is."

"She's called B'Elanna," Harmony chirped. "I have Temporary Space Harmonics with her."

"B'Elanna Torres," Liam said. "My sister, Leanne, is in her first year, same as that chick. Apparantly the klingon is quiet, has one friend, and has one hell of a temper.

*****

"Professor Davey," B'Elanna protested. "Just listen to me a minute."

"Cadet Torres!" the Professor yelled, loudly, so that the whole room became silent. "This is my classroom, not yours. You do the experiment my way, or you get out." He pointed towards the door. 

B'Elanna was furious. All she wanted to do was request that the teacher listen to her idea on how to speed up the process of the experiment.

"I'll get out," she said, and she walked out of the science laboratory, leaving behind a stunned class. She walked to her quarters, and began to pack up her things. She stroked the kitten, Sherry. It was much better now, and was having a happy life with B'Elanna and Maya.

Maya Waterman had never run as fast as she ran from laboratory to her quarters. She knew what B'Elanna was doing, and she knew she had to stop her. Maya knew B'Elanna would one day regret leaving the academy. She hoped that she would be on time to stop her. But when she got back to her quarters, she found a note from B'Elanna.

It's been 4 weeks, Maya, and I can't cope.

Bye, and thanks for being the best friend in the world.

B'Elanna.

*****

Maya ran to the station. The place where all flights from the academy left. She ran as fast as she possibly could, and slowed down the second she saw B'Elanna.

"You're a fast walker," Maya remarked. B'Elanna looked shocked to see her red headed friend. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" B'Elanna asked, sounding fierce.

"Don't play vicious with me, B'Elanna," Maya said. "I know you're really just a great big pussy cat, so don't pretend to be fierce. And in answer to your question, I followed you."

"Why?" B'Elanna asked. "I'm trying to leave the academy here, and I don't need a stalker."

"Why quit B'Elanna?" Maya asked. "You're bright, you're funny, you're a great room-mate. I'll miss you. Please don't go." With that, she hugged B'Elanna.

"I can't take the academy," B'Elanna said, beginning to cry. "I'm hopeless, Maya, utterly hopeless. My mother was right."

"No she wasn't," Maya told her friend. "You are good enough to be a Starfleet officer. So what if you had one little arguement with one dumb professor? Please stay just one more night, to give you time to cool off, and reconsider your desicion."

"OK," B'Elanna said, deiciding she would leave in the morning, if it would give her best friend and room-mate peace of mind."

*****

That night, B'Elanna curled up in her bed with a good book. Sherry, the cat she'd rescued, laid at her toes. She knew she didn't want to go. She knew she couldn't. In the morning, she told Maya she wouldn't go. 

*****

"Hey Maya," B'Elanna said, coming out of the shower, and into the quarters she shared with her friend Maya. "One year anniversary. Very exciting."

Maya smiled. Her red hair was cut into a sleek and stylish bob similar to B'Elanna's, and she had gained weight in all the right places. "I know. One year. Seems like yesterday."

"We're second year cadets," Maya smiled. "This is great. We'll be officers in no time."

"Yeah," B'Elanna said, in a daydream, and then, suddenly snapping out of it, said, "You wanna get some breakfast?"

"OK," Maya replied, and after B'Elanna dressed, they went down to the cafe.

*****

Tom Paris stared across the cafe at B'Elanna Torres. He still admired her from afar, even though it was nearly over a year since he had first seen her. And fallen in love with her. He looked at her chatting to her red headed friend who he now knew was called Maya. He thought that B'Elanna was beautiful. One day he would ask her out. One day.

*****

"Lab partners this year?" Maya asked B'Elanna. B'Elanna nodded in response. "Oh look who we've got in our class," B'Elanna said, changing the subject. "Nelle Peterson."

Nelle was the subject of much gossip around the academy. She had few friends, but was extrodinarly clever, and had been moved straight into year 2, even though she was only 17. Nelle was also very snobby, and she came from a posh line of women from Lomari Two. Her older sister, Lorena, was already Lieutenent Commander of the starship Jupiter. No one liked Nelle.

"Good morning everyone," Professor Jenkins began. "Today we'll begin our month long study on the process of vulcan procreation."

The teacher talked, while B'Elanna and Maya passed notes, and had fun. 

*****

"OK, today we get our test results," Professor Jenkins said. "After our 4 months, on procreation of other species, we have finally learned who had been paying attention, and who has not."

B'Elanna Torres was not happy. She knew she had done badly. She was a good engineer, and was top of the class in engineering. But she didn't understand some other subjects, and wasn't particularly interested in other species procreation rituals. She knew she was doing badly. Her test scored confirmed it.

Nelle got 97%, as usual, the highest in the class. Maya got 77%, which was above average. B'Elanna was almost in tears when she discovered she was at the bottom of the class with 27%.

That evening B'Elanna Torres packed her bags. "You're not really going through with this are you?" Maya asked. "Please don't leave."

"I'm sorry, Maya, I have to go," B'Elanna said. "I'm just packing my stuff now, I'll be out at the crack of dawn."

Maya got down on her hands and knees. "Bella, please don't leave, I'm begging you, please. If you go, I don't have a best friend, and I have to share a room with Nelle, as she's looking for new quarters."

"I'm sorry," B'Elanna said, on the verge of tears. "I don't want to do this Maya, I don't want to leave you. But I don't have a choice."

Maya burst into tears, and began to sob, as a tear trickled from B'Elanna's eye. It fell onto Sherry the cat, sleeping on B'Elanna's lap. 

"Maya, will you do something for me?" B'Elanna asked her friend. 

"Anything," Maya cried.

"Thank your mother for all her kindness towards me," B'Elanna said. B'Elanna and Maya had gone to stay with Mrs Waterman in the summer break.

The two cried openly into each others arms, and both fell asleep on the floor, neither wanting to leave the other.

*****

It was an unhappy woman who left the academy the following morning. 18-year-old B'Elanna Torres strolled down the path, carrying few belongings. She was sad. She left her only friend behind. She had no one to go to, now where to turn. She would survive, that she knew. She caught the morning transport, and went to Yessik 3. She thought of Maya every second.

*****

Tom Paris hummed as he walked towards B'Elanna and Maya's quarters. He had finally decided. This would be the day he would ask out the sexy klingon. He had admired her from afar for long enough. After breaking up with Crystal, he decided it was time to act. He chimed the door.

"Come in," Maya's voice said. Tom entered. He saw Maya sobbing into a soft toy pig, hugging her pet cat, Sherry.

"Um, Maya, is something wrong?" Tom asked. Maya made an attempt at a smile.

"No, nothing," she said, looking at Tom. "Why are you here?"

"OK, I know theres something wrong," Tom said. "But I won't press the matter if you don't want to talk about it."

"Thank you," sobbed Maya, eternally gratefull to the handsome 3rd year cadet.

"Is B'Elanna around?" he asked.

"She left this morning, Maya replied. Tom felt like his whole world had fallen apart. He wanted to be with her. His whole life had depended on finally asking her out.

Now he knew why Maya was crying.

*****

Four Years Later

"B'Elanna," Chakotay yelled, marching into the engine room. "B'Elanna Torres?"

"I'm here," B'Elanna said, crawling our from under the engine. She was dressed all in leathers, and had a little fluid from a leak she was fixing on her top.

"There's a transmission for you from a Rachel Waterman."

"Oh my god," B'Elanna said.

"What is it?" Chakotay said. "Is something wrong with you B'Elanna?"

"Its nothing," B'Elanna said. "Just a blast from the past, that's all. I'll take it at this station." Chakotay left.

She was all alone in the engine room. She pressed the button at the maquis view screen. "Torres here."

"B'Elanna, my dear," the old woman exclaimed. She had a sad look in her eyes. 

"Mother Rachel," B'Elanna greeted the woman. During her stay with the lady, Mrs Waterman had insisted that B'Elanna call her 'Mother Rachel.'

"Oh, B'Elanna my dear, my child."

"Mother Rachel, what is it?"

"B'Elanna," Rachel Waterman began. "Oh, Lanna, my dear, sweet child. You were the best friend dear Maya ever had."

"Mother Rachel, what is it," B'Elanna said, becoming worried. "What's wrong?"

"There was an accident," Mother Rachel whispered. "A shuttle accident. Maya died after having emergency surgery. There was nothing they could do."

B'Elanna felt like she was very far away. She could hardly hear the voice. She couldn't handle this. Maya couldn't be dead - she mustn't. 

"Thank you for telling me, Mother Rachel," B'Elanna said. "I'll be in touch." B'Elanna Torres turned off the view screen and burst into tears. As a child she had rarely cried, and never with such sorrow as this. She felt as though life wasn't worth living. Maya was her best friend, her soulmate. It was impossible to believe she was gone, she couldn't be. And yet she was.

Why Maya? Why? The single most sweetest person alive, the only person who'd ever looked beyond B'Elanna's klingon ridges, and seen her as a person, not a 'thing.'

She wept for Maya openly. The pain would alway be with her, as would her memories of Maya. She felt as if she would never heal. B'Elanna truly knew what it meant to love someone. But she knew she would never get the chance to tell Maya that. It was too late. 

The End.

[Mail Me][1]

[Main Page][2]

   [1]: mailto:%20bec_hanna@yahoo.co.uk
   [2]: http://cbvoyager.cjb.net



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